and many more benefits!

Find us on Facebook

GMAT Club Timer Informer

Hi GMATClubber!

Thank you for using the timer!
We noticed you are actually not timing your practice. Click the START button first next time you use the timer.
There are many benefits to timing your practice, including:

Can we do this ques based on graphs .. I am working on a technique that could help me to hit all in equality questions.

Please suggest ...

Thanks

I wouldn't suggest to use graph approach for this question because x^3 and \(\sqrt{x}\) functions are not easy to plot and compare. Below are two approaches which are good for it.

If x and y are positive, is x^3>y?

NUMBER PLUGGING:

(1) \(\sqrt{x}>y\) --> if \(x=1\) and \(y=\frac{1}{2}\) then the answer will be YES but if \(x=\frac{1}{4}\) and \(y=\frac{1}{5}\) then the answer will be NO. Two different answers, hence not sufficient.

(2) \(x>y\) --> if \(x=1\) and \(y=\frac{1}{2}\) then the answer will be YES but if \(x=\frac{1}{4}\) and \(y=\frac{1}{5}\) then the answer will be NO. Two different answers, hence not sufficient.

(1)+(2) Both examples are valid for combined statements, so we still have two answers. Not sufficient.

Answer: E.

ALGEBRAIC APPROACH:

For \(1\leq{x}\): ------\(\sqrt{x}\)----\(x\)----\(x^3\), so \(1\leq{\sqrt{x}}\leq{x}\leq{x^3}\) (the case \(\sqrt{x}=x=x^3\) is when \(x=1\)). \(y\) is somewhere in green zone (as \(y<\sqrt{x}\) and \(y<x\)), so if we have this case answer is always YES: \(y<x^3\).

But:

For \(0<x<1\): \(0\)----\(x^3\)----\(x\)----\(\sqrt{x}\)----\(1\), so \(0<x^3<x<\sqrt{x}\). \(y\) is somewhere in green or red zone (as \(y<\sqrt{x}\) and \(y<x\)), so if we have this case answer is sometimes YES: \(y<x^3\) (if \(y\) is in green zone), and sometimes NO: \(x^3<y\) (if \(y\) is in red zone). In fact in this case \(y=x^3\) is also possible, for example when \(x=\frac{1}{2}\) and \(y=\frac{1}{8}\)